Hard surface cleaners, especially in the form of trigger sprays and aerosol sprays, are useful on a variety of surfaces, including surfaces such as bathroom and kitchen surfaces. Bathroom and kitchen surfaces include a variety of smooth surfaces which when clean have a glossy or shiny surface, e.g. glass, ceramic, chrome, stainless steel and the like. During use between cleanings, build-up occurs on these surfaces from soils, such as dirt, soap scum, limescale and the like. This build-up can occur quickly and result in a dull look and roughened surface texture or feel.
The composition of the invention initially cleans a hard surface and, thereafter, leaving a protective and hydrophilic coating on the hard surface that allows for easier removal of soils from the treated surface through simple rinsing with water. This hydrophilic coating remains on a treated surface for an extended period of time through numerous rinsings.
Glass cleaners are often available in a form that is ready to use. Alternatively, the glass cleaner may be provided as a concentrate solution which is diluted with dilution water to form a use solution at the point of use or at an intermediate location. Diluting the concentrate at the point of use or at an intermediate location reduces the cost and the space required to transport and store the concentrate solution.
One reason that glass cleaners are provided in a form that is ready to use is to control the presence of “hardness” in the water used to prepare the ready to use glass cleaner, which has a tendency to cause precipitation of some components of the solution, such as anionic surfactants. Water hardness may also lead to aesthetically unpleasant streaking on glass surfaces.
Hardness is defined as the concentration of multivalent cations. Typically multivalent cations include Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. Iron, aluminum and manganese can also contribute to hardness. One measurement of hardness defines hardness in terms of the calcium carbonate concentration where 1 grain is equivalent to 17.1 mg of calcium carbonate per liter.
Glass cleaners also typically include a volatile organic compound (VOC) such as but not limited to solvents such as ethanol and alkanol amines such as monoethanolamine. A compound is non-volatile if its vapor pressure is below 0.1 mm Hg at 20° C. VOCs have been the subject of regulation by different government entities, the most prominent regulations having been established by the California Air Resource Board in its General Consumer Products Regulation. Thus, it may be desirable to formulate glass cleaners containing low or no VOCs.